Where you take them to
by ropesburg
Summary: There is no other way of loving but this. KakaNaru drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

**Where you take them to**

A/N: Yes this is my second KakaNaru fic collection. The first one, Wicked Games, was fun to write and to keep as an outlet for my less stoical ideas. This is meant as something more serious, a chance to explore other aspects of their relationship. Also, I wanted an opportunity to mix up my writing and it felt as if I couldn't do that with a bunch of previous stories that were written in another way.

So here's to new ideas, fresh possibilities, and finding inspiration.  
On a side note - if there are any scenarios you want a kakanaru drabble on, I'm all ears :)

* * *

_under the cover au_

It was a desert-colored vision of naked skin and pallid air. Naruto had caught him unaware, sweeping him under the cover like a baklava pastry at a café. The beige fabric was a shield.  
Kakashi lifted his head from his bicep, his hair smeared by sweat. August days in New York ran hot, the sunshine being slathered on the pavements and lurking in the air. The apartment they rented, a gullible shoe-box, had all the windows facing the same direction. For some time the red pin on the thermometer had been going straight up, irked by a heatwave straight out of Hades' mouth. The lack of air made his breathing shallow, microscopic droplets of sweat licking the creases of his body, as if he was being lowered into someplace too small.

"You know what I love about you?" Naruto inquired, following the outline of Kakashi's cheek with one of his contemplating fingers.

_The best thing about me is you_.

Kakashi shook his head.

"That you listen when I talk."

Smiling, "I hoped you would say it was because I was so good in bed."

Boxing at his arm, affronted, "I was having a moment and you ruined it."

Kakashi inched closer, "I'm sorry."

"I was complimenting you, would you shut up and listen-"

"I'm _all ears-_"

"For the love of-" Groaning, "You know I can't focus when you..."

"What were you saying? I'll listen, I promise."

Naruto sighed, making the strong body under his heave, "I _said_-, I'm happy you listen to me."

Kakashi kissed his forehead, "Always."

Kissed his jaw, "Always."

Kissed his inching, beating heart. "Always."


	2. Chapter 2

The table wobbled as Naruto shuffled himself across the booth sofa, nearly making Kakashi's ramen bowl spill its guts.

"There you are!" the Hokage grinned.

Kakashi simply stared, having saved his food by lifting it up, prepared for anything.

"I need your help with something."

Kakashi looked blankly back at him. "Can I finish this first?"

* * *

The Hokage's office was overflowing, stacks upon stacks with filled out forms and scrolls and requests. Kakashi turned around to leave but was hindered by a hand on his sleeve.

"Please, I don't know where to start."

* * *

The black scroll went into the biggest drawer, which was then shut.

"That's the last of it." He took in the surroundings and the space. "But if I ever see a mess like this again-"

The hokage winced. "No making threats, sensei."

Kakashi spread his hand on the aged wooden desk, "I stopped being your teacher long ago."

Naruto, sitting in the chair in front of the desk, puffed his cheeks, "But I don't know what else to call you."

"..."

"Aha!"

Kakashi gulped.

"Ossan!"

"..."

"It fits."

"You're making it worse."

A/N: _Ossan _is a Japanese (informal) term for "old man". Also _whoops_ all of these seem to end up really short. The next one will be longer, I promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt:** Write Naruto bathing without using the letter _t _

A/N: Normally I'd get a prompt from the internet or a friend but neither was cooperating so I made one up myself (hence the "Naruto bathing" part). Additionally, I saw an interview with an author a while ago and he said that when he's experiencing writer's block he likes to constrict himself, like not using a certain letter, to really make himself think (hence the "without t" part). Bottom line: there is _a lot_ of words with the letter "t" in them. This, for example.

Sorry for the general silliness but I felt like writing something cute okay?

* * *

He reached for a bar of soap, curling his fingers, keeping some bubbles in his palm.

"He's such an _ass_," he growled, scrubbing his aching shoulders clean.

Puffing his cheeks, shaking his head in disbelief, "And he even finished before me."

Following a rinse of his upper body he sunk back down and crossed his arms, looking for his lazy-ass boyfriend. Kakashi was reading a magazine, slowly nodding when he deemed such a sign necessary.

"Maybe I should join a gym," he pondered while pulling his dark blond hair back, making ripples and sighing.

"Mhm," Kakashi added.

"Your mind is someplace else."

"Mhm."

"I'm going hiking for six weeks. Only me and Sakura-chan. All alone."

"Mhm-..." Kakashi froze. He dropped his paper, blinking sheepishly. "You're going away? Sakura and... you?"

Uzumaki groaned, rolling his eyes. _"You," _he said, scowling, "are unbelievable."

Shrugging, "I've been called worse."

Scooping up a ball of foam, Konoha's Hokage aimed for a silly man and his grey hair. Such an unruly headful sure could use some shower oil.


	4. Chapter 4

**Grandfather. **

Blue socks, black shoes.

Her tubby legs carried her far, as if the stars had made a deal with her father, _alright, well just this once. _Four-year old's shouldn't be able to move around as she did. Unafraid when challenged, jeering when accomplished, she was every bit of her dad and more. All the best parts.

More often than not she came crashing in through Kakashi's office door, laughing, "sorry grampa", as if cheered on by a magnetic nerve of the earth. Naruto had tried explaining that grandpa was something else, a blood-bond, and "Kakashi-sensei has his own family," as if it was the truth and not something conjured up in its place.

It was fascinating (if fascination could be painful, corroding, heartbreaking) to watch her run down the corridors with her father chasing after, _"No no no, stop! careful!" _Laughter echoed in the building and he searched for it like a man looking out for bear-traps, anxiously, scrutinizing. Kakashi watched his steps.

* * *

Years later he ran into her on the street, an uppity girl with mud on her knees and tiny twigs in her hair.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, have you seen dad?"

People around them scoffed at her brisk speech, unaware that Kakashi's innards was in pieces. If there was a bloodline that could get away with anything, it'd be this one. Naruto's...

"No." He cleared his throat. "No, I haven't."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Since I am the author and therefore can do what I want, I hereby declare that I am too lazy to write longer stories in this collection. So if you've been writing for a "long" oneshot, this isn't the place for it. I have 0 endurance when it comes to writing, and would rather do it in short bits. I know I could cram them all together in one document and have some lines in between but that doesn't feel right because I want every story to stand on its own, kind of. Agh, ok, point being - _here there be shorts._

* * *

**Sleepless. **

Kakashi was drowning.

Drowning in feathers and down.

Gasping, he sat up, flinging the cover off of his body, a leg already hooked over the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Naruto muttered.

Kakashi blinked, stilling. "I was-..."

Going somewhere. The dream had tasted of stale water and blood. He laid back down, reclaiming the cover, neatly folding it over his thighs.

"Sorry if I woke you up."

"It's alright," the Hokage murmured.

Kakashi tiredly stared up at the ceiling, its beige squares and dark lines, creasing by the shadows. The right hand on his stomach rose and fell steadily in turn with his breath.

Now calmer, he rolled over on his side and was met a view of the wall, unobstructed. His heart sunk in his chest, dragged down in the rushing darkness by an anchor.

Cold sheets.

_Oh. _

_That's right. _

He kept his hand on the deserted space beside him.

_I forgot. _


	6. Chapter 6

What else was there to say? As he got up from the armchair he took the light with him, the late night dinners where they burned the salmon and forgot about salad altogether, the shifting autumn days with his ninken out in the forest, more playing than training. The day where they'd wound up fishing Pakkun out of a muddy creek, barely containing their laughter. An endless row of days. Drab. Immaculate.

Naruto stood up, leaving on his own two legs.

_Stop,_ Kakashi thought.

* * *

Naruto had used to put his arms around his shoulders, dipping his nose in Kakashi's cheek, "Tell me you love me."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Modern spy/police/military/something AU. The prompt was "a note on their car" and things kind of got out of hand (DO THEY EVER NOT?).

* * *

**_Hey jerk ass, you stole my fucking spot._**

Crumbling the note in his good hand, Kakashi looked around. The street lay deserted in the daft morning light. Still scowling suspiciously at any looming shadows and perches, he got in the car and backed out, catching his breath when his awkwardly new Volvo licked past a blue Mazda that stood obscenely close. He cradled his left arm with his right, grimacing, sparing a flash of teeth. Allowing his head to dip down on the steering wheel and rest there, he then sighed.

"Fucking..."

* * *

It was dead. He pressed four different buttons without the slightest of response.

"Sorry, I called yesterday and they are sending someone over." Nara, who was leaning on the kitchen counter, made a consoling shrug and then nodded at the office door. "The applicant's meant to be here in ten minutes."

Clenching his jaw and throwing a last dirty look at the coffee machine, Kakashi nodded.

"Just a heads up," Nara clarified, then left.

Kakashi went back to his room, closing the door behind him with a deep breath. He scratched his neck. The sling gnawed on his shoulder like an unforgiving seat belt. He spent twenty minutes staring dimly at a report, watching the words float around on the paper like lazy grains of dust. When the door cracked open he sat up, his blank mind having thrown him for a loop.

A blond man stared back, standing still behind the threshold. "I was meant to be here ten minutes ago. I'm here for the job-..." his voice trailed off.

Kakashi nodded, rising to his feet. "Come in."

The man was young, but anything between the respective poles of "baby" and "old man" was a gray area. Buff. His champagne colored hair fell down in drab strands, stopping short in reverance before his eyes. His handshake was eager. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Having introduced himself, Kakashi nodded at the chair in front of the desk. "Please sit."

Uzumaki slouched when sitting, meeting the back support in an unobstructed way. His breaths were calm.

"Why do you want this job?"

"Well..." Taking a moment to think he pursed his lips, looking to the side. "I think I want to be challenged."

"And you're not, in your current position?"

"Um," he sat up straighter, "I am, but it feels like I could do _more_. I want to advance."

* * *

Having gathered them around him, Kakashi announced their latest addition.

"This is officer Uzumaki. He'll be replacing Uchiha in the field division. Remember that he's new so be nice, and if you have any tedious tasks that needs seeing to, he's your guy. Where are we on the broker case?"

* * *

Aiming carefully, his head to the side, Naruto fired. He absorbed the recoil, reloading insistently and firing again. The smoke had barely settled before he ordered the flimsy target paper forwards.

Behind him Kakashi scrutinized it, the holes shot through the smallest circle and the few stray ones. "You miss about a tenth of your shots," he remarked.

Having come to the same conclusion, Naruto turned around. "Yeah, though it's only slightly-" Blinking back into Kakashi's silence, he continued, "...I'm gonna practize more?"

"Good."

Waiting until Kakashi'd left, Sakura leaned out from behind the separating screen, hauling off her earmuffs. "That was a first."

His focus still on the practice, Naruto mumbled, "What is?"

"_That._ He's not usually so... lenient."

Furrowing his brow, "What are you talking about?"

Sakura flashed a smile, "I once heard him tell a guy to apply for a job at Target, because that was the only way he'd ever come across it."

Naruto snorted, "Yeah, okay," shrugging in an epitome of _he probably deserved it. _

"I'll let you go back to practizing," Sakura decided, putting her hearing protection back on, reducing the nearby shots to muted puffs.

* * *

Splaying his fingers on the mahogany desk, Naruto leaned in. "And there's at least fifteenof them, armed to the teeth, and me and my partner go in-"

Kakashi put his head in his hand, listening intently.

His blue eyes big, exalted, his hands emphazising, "We're in the hangar where the deal's meant to go down, and we have no back-up, no radio, maybe three clips between us in total-"

* * *

"How about you, Hatake? You never talk about yourself."

Aware of the eyes trained on him, Kakashi takes a sip of his beer. "There's not a lot to say."

Naruto rolled his eyes, looking around the table for support. "I'm sure there's a story you're not telling us. What did you do before becoming... super-something... captain..." Muted chuckles. "... whatever it is you do."

He threw his hands up. "I joined the military when I was young. Nothing exciting. Really."

Nara got up, "I know a wasted effort when I see one. I'm going to get another beer."

Sakura pushed the peanut bowl forwards, "Oh, can you get me one of those, you know," She nipped at the air with her fingertips, "In a tall glass, with a little umbrella..."

Shikamaru shook his head. "I have no idea-"

She sighed but then got up, "I'm coming with you."

Bowing his head, looking down on his hands, "I'm sorry if you didn't want to talk about it," Naruto said lowly.

"It's fine." Kakashi fiddled with the beer bottle, scraping at the corner of the label with his thumb. "My dad was in the military."

Naruto looked up.

"When he died..." He took a deep breath, "I guess I wanted to see what kind of life he'd led. I remember thinking, _As soon as I find a better job, I'll quit._" Kakashi smiled, bitterly. "And I'm still here."

"I'm pretty sure the bartender has it out for me," Nara interrupted and bent back onto the booth sofa, proudly placing his ice cold and sweating beer on the table top.

* * *

Kakashi cringed, readjusting his bullet-proof vest, peeking out from behind the shield of the container.

"It's _still _not healed?" Naruto argued, incredulous, his gun pointing steadily downwards at the ground.

"It's the collarbone. It won't heal faster because you tell it to." He spared a glance outwards and was rewarded with a bullet whining past, a dry whistle through the air and then a compact thud as it ate its way into the dry ground. "Let's move."

Half an hour later they were both in the changing room, Kakashi holding a towel to his battered chest.

Naruto tried to pry his fingers loose, "I'm a trained medic, let me look."

Heaving out a ragged sigh, Kakashi let him.

"You've torn- I think four stitches. 'Broken clavicle', _my ass._" Naruto scowled. "I'm gonna find whoever cleared you for duty and punch them in the face."

* * *

Their fingers brushed as he handed him the report. Kakashi's stomach sunk in return, a flush of warmth along with a teary-eyed denial because he was not letting this happen.

Not like this. Not with him.

Naruto flicked through the folder, stopping haphazardly to read a line and then carrying on.

* * *

Sunlight in his hair like brief echoes of sound. The bones of his neck stuck out like miniature mountains, light tiny hairs becoming caught under the neckline of his striped shirt. It rattled slightly from his pen as he scribbled on the pad. Naruto ran a hand through his hair, a movement that pushed his shoulder blades about, a magnetizing dance of muscles and contours. Eventually Naruto turned around. "Are you done? Because I could eat something."

Kakashi glanced down at the empty paper. "Yes. I'm done."

* * *

"I think you missed a couple of steps," Naruto puffed, blinking in the bawdy yellow glow from the streetlights. "Where's my dinner, for example?"

Lifting his head from the moist pillow, Kakashi looked him over, "You can have as many dinners as you want."

"Really?" Naruto picked up, placing his leg on Kakashi's stomach, nestling close. "As many as I want?"

* * *

Naruto peered at the silvery car beside them. "I can't believe we were neighbors."

A brief pause, then he continued. "I can't believe you were the ass with the Volvo."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This is a modern au kind of thing.

* * *

**Remember.**

She chose one of the jars. "What about this one?"

"Uh, sure." Naruto had stopped by the cereal, resting his arms upon the blue plastic handle of the shopping cart.

Hinata put the marmalade down next to a pasta package. "We should get some frozen vegetables, like broccoli."

"Mhm."

The beige shelves stood in immaculate rows with countless colored boxes, teas tasting of vanilla, Jasmine rice, and pink fleece leggings by the kid's section.

Hinata glanced at them. She was holding on to the shopping cart, steering it. "What do you want for dinner?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. You decide."

"I thought I'd make a pie."

Naruto rubbed his neck, stopping by the see-through freezer. "Sounds fine."

She went around the small maze made out of spring rolls and ice cream, cradling the frosty bags in her arms. He moved away from the humming fridge and went to meet her. The cart rattled in his hands as she dropped the food.

"Look, they're already selling Easter eggs."

"Yeah."

Brightly colored ovals sat in an open box, their thin metal wrapping neatly tucked in. Most chocolate eggs tasted cheap, like they'd been made out of recycled plastic.

"We never celebrated Easter but I still think they're super cute."

"They really are."

The cash register was empty. It beeped and scraped from the machine as the groceries traveled down the checkout. Naruto placed the milk cartons next to each other in the bottom of the bag and packed the other items on top.

"I can take one," she said when he took the bags down.

"It's okay, I got it."

* * *

He took the bags out of the car while she opened the door. As soon as they had unpacked she started on the food. Naruto sat by the table, "What can I do?"

Shaking her head, she got out the green cutting board. "Nothing, just take it easy." She chopped the spices finely, leaving the whole kitchen smelling of herbs. "I met Kakashi today at work."

The pen he'd been scribbling with halted on the notepad. "Yeah? What did he say?"

Hinata scraped down the garlic into the enamel pot and turned around. "Did you know he was moving?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I had no idea."

She smiled. "He got a job down south."

Naruto nodded, "Well, good for him."

Turning around again, "It's been years since I saw him. Didn't you use to live close by?"

The pen shook in his hand. Naruto put it down. "I did. For a while."

Light fog wafted up from the food, parts of it escaping the kitchen fan.

Holding the pot with one hand and stirring with the other, she continued: "I can't believe he still looks the same as he did when I went to university. Like he hasn't changed at all."

"He has."

"In what way?"

Naruto cleared his throat, "Everyone do. I mean, no one goes through life without changing a bit."

She thought for a while. "I wonder how I've changed."

He smiled, "I don't think you've changed that much. You're still the nicest person I know."

He caught a glimpse of her, beaming, as she searched the fridge.

* * *

**-hey**

**-Hey.**

**-i still have your daytona hoodie. i thought maybe you wanted it back before you moved**

**_"Kakashi is writing..."_**

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, focusing on the ellipses at the bottom of the screen.

**_"Kakashi is writing..."_**

Yellow light carved a shape on the floor through the open bathroom door. Hinata was in the shower. Naruto chewed on his thumbnail.

**-Keep it.**

**-i dont want it**

**-i cant wear it, its too big**

**-Then throw it.**

**-dont say that about your poor sweater! it has served you well and now it deserves a new loving home**

**-If it means that much to you, I'll take it back.**

**-great! can I drop it off tomorrow?**

**_"Kakashi is writing..."_**

The lights in the bathroom went off. Naruto froze with his fingers still on the keyboard.

Hinata looked around. "Have you seen the Ford novel I was reading? Don't tell me I forgot it downstairs..."

"I think I saw it by the sofa."

_**"Kakashi is writing..."**_

She jogged down the stairs, its steps lightly creaking.

**-I'll be home at 4.**

**-see you then**

He logged off.

* * *

He spent the remaining time going through the vast amount of prints in the closest newspaper kiosk, a green old thing between a subway entrance and another kiosk that sold cheap hot dogs. He had the hoodie stuffed in a plastic bag hung around his wrist. His wallet hid below the shirt and the few seconds it took for him to fish it up was enough for a line to start forming. "Sorry, sorry," he said as he made his way past the line with his newspaper in one hand and his receipt and the bag in the other.

"Hey," Kakashi said.

He had a new jacket. Dark blue with buttons, and a zipper, and a fox-like figure on the left.

"Nice jacket," Naruto said. "I mean, hello. Hi."

Kakashi nodded towards the left. "Can we walk at the same time?"

"Sure."

They went down the street, passing three teenagers that were scowling at each other.

"How stupid are you? Do you even know what shit could happen? I heard Austen got caught-"

They had to make a detour around a shopkeeper sweeping the sidewalk, insistently cleaning the pavement with a small red brush. He shot them a dirty look as they passed. Naruto grimaced in apology.

Kakashi stopped by the tired wooden door. It had an eclectic collection of new and old posters.

_Come try the best breakfast buffet in town! Monday – Friday 8-12 _

Kakashi looked at him, raising his eyebrows.

"Ah, right." Naruto started digging around. "Here it is." Handing him the sweater, he continued, "Hinata told me."

Kakashi wrapped the hoodie up, put it in his bag. "It was a while since I applied. I didn't think I'd get it."

"Which university was it?"

It was on the other side of the country.

"I've sold most of my things," Kakashi said, glancing away.

"I see."

"I move this weekend."

"Oh. That soon."

Kakashi shifted his weight upon his feet. "There's nothing keeping me here."

"..."

"I should go up and finish packing."

Naruto took a step after him. "Wait, stop. Maybe I deserved that. But I wanted to see you before you left."

Kakashi's eyes looked dark. Naruto had seen them take on all nuances, from the ash gray they appeared in bright December light, to the looming black shade of indoors.

"I miss you," Naruto said. "I just... I miss you."

Because saying it twice might relay the message better.

"I was dumb," he went on. "And I'm sorry."

"Naruto..."

A car sped past them on the street, a tearing sound of asphalt.

"Take care," Kakashi said, swiftly unlocking the door and entering the foyer. Naruto leaped to catch it but the heavy door clicked shut. He pulled on it.

He tried the number pad.

4 8 3 1.

The red button blinked. They changed the code every three months.

He watched the door for a minute, dimly hoping for a miracle.

It started raining on the way home.


	9. Chapter 9

Modern AU. Filed under: things I will never finish.

* * *

He subtly shook his head, trying to get rid of the little icy pieces in his bangs. They turned to droplets and fell down on his dark sweater. A humming was heard from the fridge, echoing along with the hiss of the espresso machine. Steam rose up, drunkenly, from the piping hot and newly cleaned white cups. Grabbing his wallet from the jacket pocket, Kakashi then made his way to the register. "A coffee, please."

The woman behind the counter scratched at her blonde brow with her wrist, huffing at the humid air and tapping in the order on the number pad. "That will be 2,50."

He put the coins on the little plate on the cashier, peering at the lines of sandwiches behind the glass. Tiny squares of brie, pasty salami, green pouting ruffles of salad sticking out the sides.

"Would you like a sandwich with that?"

He shook his head.

"We'll bring out the coffee."

Kakashi went back to his table, swerving around a table and it's accomplices in the shape of two chairs. Every table had a little red and white cloth, a plastic flower, or a candle. There was a plastic lavender atop his table, in a little green pot. He straightened out the fabric under his fingers, making the creases unemployed.

It jangled from the doorbell as a woman came in, sweeping off her hat with a purple, woolly glove. "Hi there!" she beamed. She ordered an espresso, a soda, one of the brie sandwiches, and a cinnamon roll. After paying, she sat down in the other room.

The man at the table closest to Kakashi straightened out his gargantuan newspaper with one brisk, cracking flick of his wrists. Kakashi patted around under the table for his briefcase only to find it had slid under the other chair, lying flat on the old wood floor. He pulled it upright, shuffling around the different forms and papers, not finding the one he was looking for.

"_Ah,"_ it was heard.

Kakashi looked up.

The blond waiter approached him, coffee pot in hand. "Have you been away?" he asked, putting a coffee cup down, filling it up.

"Yeah," Kakashi said, swallowing his words, stumbling over his uncooperative tongue. He wiped his hands on his legs. "I've been away. For my work," he clarified.

Crossing his arms, "I got a little worried. You always come here a lot."

Kakashi nodded. "My job is close by."


End file.
